McDonald’s fans rejoice as Grimace the purple monster mascot returns and brings with him a new cheesy jalapeno bacon quarter pounder with cheese
- In June, McDonald’s will introduce a new burger and shake
- Along with the items, Grimace the lovable purple monster will reappear
- The monster, most popular in the 70s and 80s, essentially disappeared in the 90s when the brand all but retired Ronald McDonald
McDonald’s is bringing back Grimace, a giant purple monster who used to pal around with Ronald McDonald, but who hasn’t been seen regularly since the 90s.
This summer, Grimace will make a grand return to the ubiquitous fast-food restaurant and bring with him a new burger and shake.
The expanded menu will include the Grimace shake, described as a purple berry-flavored shake with a whipped topping that can be sold alone, or as part of a new Grimace Birthday Meal, which is comprised of the shake, fries, and a choice of a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets or a Big Mac.
Grimace will also be bringing with him the new Cheesy Jalapeño Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese, which will come in single and double form and feature the brand’s Quarter Pounder patty, two slices of American cheese, three half-strips of smoked bacon, pickled jalapeños, and cheese sauce, all served on a sesame seed bun.
McDonald’s is bringing two special items to its menu this June. The Cheesy Jalapeño Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese and the Grimace shake will begin appearing in stores later this month
The Grimace shake, described as a berry shake with a whipped topping, will make its first appearance in stores on June 12 and will also be sold as part of a special Grimace Birthday Meal
The Grimace shake is scheduled to debut on June 12, while the Cheesy Jalapeño QPC will be widely available beginning June 20.
It has also been reported that the chain will drop limited-edition Grimace-themed merch for the birthday celebration of the beloved purple monster, who is turning 51 this year.
The return of Grimace signals the iconic American brand’s return to the nostalgia of its 1970s and 80s as campaigns.
In his initial debut, Grimace was introduced as a large purple being of indeterminate species with four arms and two legs, who loved milkshakes.
Following the first campaign, the purple blob monster had his number of arms reduced to two, which is the way he appears now.
Children who grew up with Grimace are now middle-aged and some will have families and children of their own, whom the brand hopes they will bring to experience the throwback character meal.
Since the 90s, McDonald’s has used its signature mascot – Ronald McDonald – much less, because a clown who loves children had become an uncomfortable mascot for the corporation.
In 2016, Ronald was retired by McDonald’s because of a string of ‘creepy clown sightings’ across the US. They escalated from harmless pranks to reports of weapons being carried by people dressed as clowns.
Grimace was phased out of marketing in the 90s as the brand semi-retired Ronald McDonald after it became uncomfortable to have a clown who loves children as a corporate mascot
McDonald’s has selectively revived the use of some of its characters from past decades in recent years
McDonald’s recently revealed that higher prices and more orders have boosted sales during its first quarter to a total of $5.9billion.
McDonald’s reported a net income of $1.8billion for the first quarter, representing a 63 percent increase compared to the same period last year of $1.1billion.
The significant figures come amid layoffs at the company that saw roles slashes across all departments including marketing, operations, store staff and field offices.
Among the lay-offs were senior employees who had worked for the company for decades – some going as far as to write emotional goodbye messaged to colleagues after receiving the news.
